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Acudetox is a term used to describe an acupuncture protocol originally developed to treat addiction. Based on acupuncture analgesia research in Hong Kong (Wen & Cheng, 1973), the protocol was further developed in the South Bronx, NY by physicians. Today the protocol, now known as NADA, is being used worldwide to enhance community health, and the research has been incredible.

In 2012, Dr. Michael O. Smith, professor of psychiatry at Cornell, put together a short literature review of existing studies on micro acupuncture, wherein he included his own research in addiction and recovery. "More than 2,000 drug and alcohol treatment programs in the U.S. and 40 other countries have added ear acupuncture to their protocol", Smith reports. His literature review also shows that Ear acupuncture has "changed the face of psychiatric hospital care in Northern Europe" wherein there is a significant reduction in the use of benzodiazepine medication. The same protocol is now also used in 130 prisons in England, wherein it has proven to reduce violent incidents in jails by 80%.

Further research by Trafford (2015), shows that the NADA protocol has significant effects on the treatment of depression, menstrual problems, muscle pains, migraines, and reduction of blood pressure. In fact, Yale Medical School has established NADA as mainstream psychiatric treatment (Bruce, 2011) in order to treat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, depression, and pain issues to name a few. Research has also extended to treating cancer and blood disorders including sickle cell disease and AIDS/HIV.

Wherein research has been conducted mostly for the treatment of disease, literature has also shown that the taking the treatment to the workplace setting has shown significant improvement in sleep and reduction of stress in work colleagues using just ONE point. It has also been used in sports medicine as published by New York Sports Acupuncture. The NADA protocol, as described by Dr. Smith, is beneficial because of the following characteristics it possesses:

1. As a non-verbal intervention, it helps in reaching resistant patients.2. It reduces anxiety and agitation while facilitating calm and receptive behavior.3. It helps develop an inner meditative core in even the most troubled and fearful persons.